This artcle is from th Opinion page of the New York Times (April 12, 2012)
-bhuban Editorial It’s More Than Lunch When the leaders of India and Pakistan got together for lunch on Sunday in New Delhi there were no dramatic breakthroughs. But given their countries’ combustible history — and the ever present danger of even worse — the first visit to India by a Pakistani head of state in seven years was another small sign of progress. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India and President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan both deserve credit for their sensible, workmanlike effort over the past year to improve relations between the two nuclear rivals. Connect With Us on Twitter For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT. After the 2008 Mumbai attacks by Pakistani-based extremists, abetted by the army, there were fears that things could spin out of control. India showed admirable restraint in not retaliating, but Pakistan has failed to bring the terrorists to justice. India still agreed to resume a dialogue on a broad range of issues last year. Cabinet ministers and civil servants from both sides now regularly exchange visits. To build real trust, military and intelligence officials must join in. They have made the most progress on increasing economic cooperation. India and Pakistan do more trade with Britain than with each other, but they are modernizing the handling of goods at borders, easing visa restrictions and talking about oil pipelines and linking electric grids. They have much more to talk seriously about, including a joint stake in a stable Afghanistan and the disputed region of Kashmir. A calamity last week at the Siachen Glacier — more than 100 Pakistan soldiers were killed in an avalanche — highlights the need for both sides to bring their troops home from that remote border. There can be no real reconciliation with India until Pakistan prosecutes those responsible for the Mumbai attack, which killed more than 160 people. Last week, the United States put up a $10 million reward for the capture of Pakistani militant Hafiz Saeed, who is accused of being the mastermind and lives openly in Lahore. There have been no significant attacks on Indian territory by Pakistani terrorists since Mumbai. Whether that is luck or the result of government policy in Islamabad is unclear. Either way, those responsible for Mumbai must stand trial for their crimes. President Zardari has invited Prime Minister Singh to Pakistan this year, and we hope he goes. Both leaders are politically constrained and may not be able to deliver bold peace moves. But if they keep pursuing incremental steps, they may yet build a peace _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
